The launch of Ballarat Writers’ member, Myra King’s short story collection, City Paddock, will be held at the Clunes National Hotel at 2pm on Sunday July 11th. City Paddock is published by Ginnindera Press. Royalties from the sale of the book will be donated to the RSL Creswick Light Horse Troop (this organisation keeps the Light Horse memory alive, saves unwanted racehorses from being put down and helps local youth).
Esteemed award winning writers and poets, Paddy O’Reilly, Ross Gillett, Rhonda Poholke, Fraser Mackay and Jan Price will be reading on …

Warm yourself by the fire at our next Reading at Portico, Wednesday 14 July. Special guest Steve Smart, poet and performer, will kick off at 7.30pm. Some debate continues as to whether Steve is eccentric or just plain comfortingly odd. Originally from Ballarat, Steve now lives in Melbourne but he comes and goes a lot. He works on the basis that the only place better than here is ‘everywhere’, which is why his tour must never, ever end. He has released many self-published chapbooks, zines and spoken word CDs and will most certainly …

Theme Open
Open Up to 3000 words Prize money Open First Prize $1,000
Primary (up to and including Grade 6) Up to 1000 words Primary (up to and including Grade 6) First Prize $100
For entry form and more details go to website

Elyne Mitchell Rural Women’s Writing Award, where women over the age of 15 can win $1000 for writing a short story on some aspect of rural life in Australia, is now open.
3 Categories to enter:
* Open Category (Women over 25 years of age) One $1000 Prize Awarded
* Emerging Writers Category (Women 15 – 25 years of age) One $500 Prize Awarded
* Upper Murray Writers Category (Local Women Residents of either Towong Shire or Tumbarumba Shire over 15 years of age) One $500 Prize Awarded
The theme …

Following the enormous success of the Inaugural Awards, we are delighted to announce the opening of The Second Basil Bunting Poetry Award 2010.
We are committed to consolidating the position of the Award and to build on what Peter Bennett, one of last year’s winners, had to say:
It really is a great privilege to be among the commended and winning line-up of this first Basil Bunting Award, which I predict will become one of the most sought after awards in the country.
Last year saw the publication by Bloodaxe of a new …

Your entries are invited for The Arvon Foundation’s prestigious open poetry competition.
First Prize $11,500
Other Prizes Total $8,500*
Judged by Carol Ann Duffy, Elaine Feinstein & Sudeep Sen
Enter online at www.arvonfoundation.org
by 16 August

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE USING THE SECURE TRYBOOKING SITE. CLICK THROUGH TO ‘READ THE FULL STORY’
Sunday 16 May 5pm
Castlemaine Art Gallery
14 Lyttleton Street, Castlemaine
Hear the voice of the region in this unique recital. New poetry by emerging local poets Damien Hendrickson, Julie Gittus, Ellen O’Gallagher, Tru Dowling, Arn Thoring, Peter Fernon and Gail Oliver alongside Australian compositions for piano, clarinet and cello. Music by Peter Sculthorpe, Elena Kats-Chernin, Suzie-May Camm (Ballarat), Anthony Lyons (Melbourne), and more.
Cello: Lachlan Dent (Ballarat)
Piano: Bronwyn Blaiklock (Ballarat)
Clarinet: Samantha Kelson Gray (Sydney)
Tickets are $10 full and …